While Your Friends Are Out
by Dark'nLightAngel
Summary: Angeal and Genesis are out on a mission, and left it to Zack to make sure Sephiroth doesn't overwork himself in their absence. Zack, determined to succeed, enlisted the help of one blond cadet. What plan could they possibly cook up? One-shot! No pairings!


Wow. I'd forgotten about this. XD Oops. Well, anyways, I wrote this fic a month or so ago, I think. I found it hanging around my documents and took a look, found it complete and after tweaking a bit, voila! A new story for my wonderful readers! Enjoy and review to let me know what you thought!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sephy-chan, Za-kun, Clo-sama, or anyone else from FFVII. I only own the copy of the games and movies that I paid for. Sadly, that doesn't account for anything at all towards claims on the characters and storyline. -wistful sigh-

* * *

"Hey, Sephh~!" Zack's happy-go-lucky voice floated around the corner and reached the General's ears, and he let out a tired sigh, looking up from his computer just in time to watch the puppy bounce into his office. "I have orders from Angeal and Genesis to make sure you eat!"

"I will consume some substance once I finish this---"

"Nonononono! I fell for that the last time those two were out on a mission!" Zack waved his hands in the air, "I doubt you moved from this spot at all last night. We're going back to your apartment and getting some breakfast or having something brought up!"

Frowning, Sephiroth leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. He'd been hoping he could get caught up on things he had neglected to do while his commanders were gone, but it looked like the lieutenant was going to prevent that. Well, not if he would help it. Angeal would not get away with setting his pet prodigy on him this time.

"Zackary, I have ten different reports due on the President's desk by tomorrow morning. Dozens of papers that need to be signed, sorted, and sent to their appropriate departments, as well as several 'promising cadet' files I promised the squad leaders I would review, and that's only half of my workload." The over-stressed General stated as calmly as he could, keeping his eyes fixed on the screen. He knew that if he even took one look at the over-zealous Second Class, it would all be over. "I will eat as soon as I am finished."

Zack was quiet for a moment, and Sephiroth was sure he was getting the puppy dog eyes that normally sent Angeal's stubbornness overboard. When he didn't look up, he heard the Second 'hmph' and turn to stomp out of the room. Odd, that was easier than he expected it to be...

Sighing in relief, the General returned to his work, pushing the oddity of how easily the pup had given up out of his mind. Maybe, if he was lucky, Zack wouldn't come back and he could at least get those reports done by the time that meeting at one rolled around. If not, perhaps Tseng would do him a favor and tie the kid up to a pole somewhere...

"Uh...Sephiroth?" Sephiroth was ripped out of his various violent thoughts, and looked up in calm surprise and annoyance. He frowned at the blond cadet standing in the door of his office, and moved his hands from the keyboard to rest on top of the center of his desk.

"Is there something you needed, Cloud?" He asked, already feeling dread start to build up inside him. He should have suspected that Zack would have a back up plan. For once, Sephiroth wished that he had told his over-protective secretary that no one was to disturb him short of an emergency.

"Sorry for bothering you in the middle of work, but Zack passed me a moment ago and said something about burning your favorite couch...?" Cloud didn't even have time to blink before the General had caught his wrist and dragged him out into the hallway towards the elevator.

Sephiroth was too distracted to notice the guilty look on the cadet's face as he punched the button for the floor with his, Angeal, and Genesis' apartment on it. He also didn't take the time to think about why Cloud was up on this floor to begin with. He only had the death of a certain over zealous SOLDIER on his mind.

When they entered the General's apartment a few minutes later, it wasn't to a bunch of smoke and the smell of melted leather, like Sephiroth had expected it to be. Rather, it smelled of burned pancakes. Frowning, he released Cloud and headed towards the kitchen to find a pouting Zack struggling with his favorite pan. A silver eyebrow twitched upon seeing the hazardous attempt to cook.

"...Give me that before you burn down my kitchen." Sephiroth snapped, snatching the appliance from the other, briefly picturing what Angeal would do to him should he come home to Zack covered in burns. It wasn't a pleasant thought, and had him shooing both the cadet and second class from the kitchen, "Go set the table and try not to break anything."

Of course, much like before, he was totally oblivious to the triumphant look on Zack's face, and Cloud's bemused one as they did as they were told. He was distracted with tossing out the burnt, gooey things Zack had concocted and washing out the pan to start over, while thanking Gaia that pancakes were one of the few things that he _could_ successfully cook.

Meanwhile, as they waited for Sephiroth to make breakfast, Zack and Cloud conversed quietly on the black leather couch that had, so shortly before, been the General's main concern.

"We shouldn't have tricked him, Zack...He seemed really busy when I went to get him."

"Trust me, Spiky, the sooner he eats the better. There's a certain point that living at your desk messes up your performance rate."

"Do you really think we should let him cook when he's like this?" Cloud asked in alarm at the statement, starting to stand up. Zack's hand immediately dragged him back down, the hand's owner grinning at him in amusement.

"He got some sleep last night, don't worry. Tseng told me this morning that Seph stopped coming around for coffee around three. Besides, I'm not going to pass up a chance to have some of Seph's pancakes." He said this in such seriousness that Cloud had to wonder if Genesis had ever made pancakes for breakfast; He knew that Zack ate practically every meal either over here or from take-out restaurants.

Any food in their apartment was the small things Cloud could make, and leftovers of all sorts. The cadet refused to follow Zack's example of freeloading, despite the invites that often came his way. He'd just come to terms with the fact that he knew the _General _personally, for Gaia's sake!

"Food's ready." Sephiroth's voice floated to them from the dining room along with the sweet smell of blueberry pancakes, bacon and sausage, cutting their conversation short as they rushed to the source. The silver-haired male seemed to have forgotten about the stress of work for the time being, and was tying his hair back into a neat ponytail as the two sat down and started to help themselves.

Zack was silently rejoicing that Angeal and Genesis wouldn't come home tomorrow to their friend being half-dead, as Cloud invited the General to join them for dinner. The blond had finally managed to get all the ingredients for one of his mom's homemade dishes, and was planning to make it tonight. Zack felt his happiness shoot up ten more pegs when Sephiroth accepted the offer, and started to make plots that centered around Cloud for the next time Angeal and Genesis left without Sephiroth.

Even the cold-hearted General couldn't turn down a well meaning cadet, it seemed.

_**Fin**_


End file.
